Once you have a rat infestation at home, there are several signs that give it away, and you must pay attention to these as rats can be dangerous since they spread many diseases, specially through their droppings. Knowing and identifying their faeces is a cornerstone in stopping any illness or bigger problem.
How to identify rat droppings?
One thing is certain, there are different types of rodents and mice can leave droppings that are very similar to rat’s, but you can learn to differentiate them. The main thing is to search throughout the house and see if you can find droppings. They’re usually scattered all over the place as rats eat and leave their poop. They’re almost the size of an olive, and it is typically piled up in fare amounts.
Furthermore, they have distinctive odour; however, rat urine has a stronger scent. If you have droppings, then the smell you’re probably getting is the urine.
How to clean rat poop
First, it is easy to get diseases from rats. They are filthy animals and bring nothing but bad things to your home. Remember that when you are dealing with this, you must be extremely cautious.
Good ventilation is key for you not to inhale that contaminated air. Dust has a lot of those particles. Leave it to clean all this waste, wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from going near it since there are many diseases transmitted by it. Also, wearing a face mask can protect you from the dust and polluted particles. Before you start cleaning, try to make a mixture of bleach and some water. It is recommended to have 10 parts of water and 1 part of bleach. If you want, you can include some disinfectant too. One thing that you can’t do is to vacuum them, as dust will invade your house.
Right after you’re done with the solution, use a spray and cover the droppings and the area that has been contaminated with them. Urine must be covered with the solution for a few minutes. After they have been sitting there with the solution, use some toilet paper or paper towels to pick them up and throw them away. Do not come into direct contact with them.
Put them in a bag and seal it. This will prevent other people to get in contact with it, or even your pets. Get rid of it in your rubbish bin and proceed to clean or the utensils or items that you believe have been contaminated. Scrub them as hard as you can, changing your gloves with other ones before doing so.
When you’re done cleaning the rest, then it is necessary to clean the whole area that was infested and filled with the droppings. You can use a similar solution to keep it clean. Use hot water if you want a better decontamination. Mop the floor and clean the countertops with bleach or disinfectant, and you’ll feel better.
Also, if you have any furniture that was compromised, you must take your time and use some steam to make it cleaner and to get rid of any contamination if it was exposed to rats. Clothing and bedding enter this category as they must be washed, use hot water to do so.
Lastly, take off your gloves and scrub your hands thoroughly, even under your fingernails if you see them visibly dirty, including your wrists. It is very helpful to use bleach or another disinfectant for your skin.
If you have an infestation at home, it is necessary to call a pest control service to remove it as fast as possible, so you can’t get any diseases and stay safe.
